Broadway Bound

It was an almost perfect day.

After a two-year Covid-imposed layoff, my sister, auntie and I made a triumphant return to the theater on Saturday, and it was a smashing success.

We had gone to see “Hangman,” Martin McDonough’s brilliant and rather bizarre play, and as we walked through Times Square for the first time in ages, I found myself thinking of “It’s Great to Back to Broadway,” the rousing opening number from “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol.”

We’re a family of theater-goers and we had not been to a play since we saw Charles Busch’s “Confession of Lilly Dare” at the Cherry Lane Theater in March 2020.

I must confess that it felt strange and a little intimidating to be back in the Times Square groove.

After the lengthy hiatus, we weren’t accustomed to the noise, crowds and madness that all come together at the Crossroads of the World.

I couldn’t wait to get into the theater. I greeted all the ushers like they were long-lost relatives and it felt so nice to hold a Playbill in my hands again.

After the show my sister caught sight of one of the cast members, Alfie Allen, walking by us, and told him what a great job he had done. He stopped to talked with us and gave us all a handshake. It was magic.

And speaking of magic, we got a cab right outside the theater and zipped downtown to a fabulous restaurant called Almond on East 22nd Street.

I felt like we were climbing out of a dark hole and I didn't think anything could spoil the day.

Seems Like Old Times

And then I made the mistake of picking up my phone to see what had been going on in the world while we locked away in the Golden Theatre.

I recalled that in 2018 we had gone to see Jez Butterworth’s “The Ferryman” and when we got out of the theater I checked my phone and saw there had been a mass shooting at The Tree of Life Synagogue In Pennsylvania.

As I switched on my phone I thought “let’s see if there have been any mass shootings today.”

I meant it as a joke, honestly. I know it sounds pretty crass, but I didn't say it aloud and I certainly didn't think anything had happened.

But I had forgotten that mass shootings are a way of life in America and my jaw dropped as I read about the slaughter in Buffalo, NY.

A heavily armed racist psychotic went on a rampage in a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood and killed 10 people.

The suspect allegedly believes the “Great Replacement” lie that white people are being systematically replaced by people of color.

It’s a delusion being pushed by right-wing media, but you know those bastards will never admit their culpability in this nightmare.

And of course, nothing will change, even though there have been 198 mass shootings in U.S. since the beginning of the year.

In fact, things will likely get much worse.

The Supreme Court is expected to hand down a decision that would make it much harder to restrict a person’s ability to carry a gun in New York as well as the rest of the country.

Yes, that’s exactly what we need in this blood-soaked, bullet-riddled nation—more guns.

The decision isn’t official but given how these medieval scumbags plan to eradicate Roe v. Wade, it’s just a matter of time.

So, it was a lovely time at the theater yesterday, but sooner or later, the lights go on and we must go out and face an increasingly dangerous world.

It’s great to be back on Broadway all right. It’s just the rest of the country that’s got me nervous.